The sister of a young Queensland mother allegedly killed by her former partner is preparing to raise the woman’s four-month-old son, only months after enduring the loss of her own baby daughter during childbirth.
Jana Armstrong, 30, was last seen on Tuesday at a unit on Gordon Avenue in Newtown, a suburb of Toowoomba in south-east Queensland.
Concern grew after her white Hyundai Kona was discovered about 6am on Wednesday stopped in the middle of the road at the corner of Jellicoe Street and Gordon Avenue. A days-long search followed, ending on Saturday night when pig hunters found her body.
Her former partner, 48-year-old Dharminder Singh, was arrested in the early hours of Sunday and charged with one count of murder, classified as a domestic violence offence. He is expected to appear in Toowoomba Magistrates Court on Monday.
Police later said Singh had been looking after the couple’s newborn son, Deshal, following Ms Armstrong’s disappearance and that the child was with him when officers made the arrest early Sunday.
‘He was with a four-month old,’ Detective Acting Superintendent Michael Manago told the Today show.
Ms Armstrong’s sister, Faith Isaacs, will now care for her nephew as the family confronts another heartbreaking loss.
Ms Isaacs’ three-week-old daughter, Lehara, died in May following complications during birth.
Faith Isaacs is now caring for her baby nephew Deshal as she mourns the deaths of her baby daughter and now her sister
Dharminder Singh, 48, the former partner of Ms Armstrong, has been charged with murder
‘She’s taking care of my daughter and I’m now taking care of her son and I’ll raise him just the way she would have wanted me to,’ she told Seven News.
‘I knew within four hours of her going missing that she was no longer with us.’
Ms Isaacs fought back tears as she paid tribute to her sister.
‘I love her and I’m going to miss her so much,’ she said.
‘We can now take her to a resting spot next to mum and dad.
‘She was so caring and loved her son so much, more than anything. She put everyone before herself.
‘She was just the best sister and an even better mum.’
‘It’s cruel, so cruel, and now he has no mum.’
Ms Armstrong (left) and her sister Faith Isaacs (right) were looking forward to raising their babies together
Heartbroken loved ones have visited the scene where Jana’s body was dumped
Mother-of-one Jana Armstrong, 30, was found dead on Saturday night, four days after she appeared
Ms Issacs was one of the last people to see her sister alive when the pair caught up for brunch at a cafe on Tuesday, hours before Ms Armstrong went missing.
She had always suspected that her sister had not wandered off on her own and was relieved to learn of Singh’s arrest.
Volunteers were preparing to resume the search on Sunday morning before police informed Ms Armstrong’s family that their worst fears had been realised.
Cousins Lara and Hannah Sweedman visited the scene on Sunday where Ms Armstrong’s body was found.
‘We knew deep down she was never coming home to us,’ Lara said.
‘We are shattered, we are heartbroken, but we are really grateful we get to bring our beautiful cousin Jana home so we can lay her to rest in the way she deserves.
‘It’s not the breakthrough we wanted at all.’
Hannah added: ‘The support from Toowoomba and the whole of the community, the whole of Australia, has been phenomenal.
‘Now we just have to hope that the justice system takes its course.’
A post-mortem will be conducted to determine how Ms Armstrong died.
Police allege that Ms Armstrong was killed between Tuesday afternoon and Wednesday morning.
Singh is accused of using her Hyundai Kona to transport and dump her body.
Police allege that Jana Armstrong was killed between Tuesday afternoon and Wednesday morning.
Dharminder Singh, 48, was arrested early Sunday morning, hours after Jana’s body was found
Investigators are calling for dashcam or CCTV vision between Toowoomba and Esk, along Esk Hampton Rd and the New England Highway, between 10.30pm on July 7 and 1.30am on July 8.
Police revealed on Sunday that there were no previous domestic violence orders in place prior to Ms Armstrong’s death.
‘I don’t think there’s anything police could have done to prevent this at all,’ Darling Downs Acting Detective Inspector Brian Collins told reporters.
‘People in the community would be horrified that a young lady, a 30-year-old with a four-month-old child, has had her life (allegedly) taken – and rightfully so.’
Detective Inspector Collins said Singh had initially been questioned by police while search teams looked for Ms Armstrong, and that he had been released without charge.
‘He provided a statement as a witness,’ he said.
